Creeping In Your Heart
by KuroiBinetsu
Summary: In the modern age, you would think that creatures are just myths and tales to be told. But they're watching, they're lurking. And when Nozomi Tojo is on the brink of suicide, her crazed predator decides to give her a second chance in life, along with her human friends, who are in for a bloody, good treat when the full moon is out and fangs are bared in the darkness of the night...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Unsteady**

"Get off me, you dumb oaf."

Nishikino Maki winced even as she snapped back at the unaffected blonde harshly, the latter shrugging nonchalantly and tightening the bandages as a sign of response, drawing a soft yelp out of the usually-tough redhead. "Hold still, or you'll bleed out faster."

"Wow, thanks Doc," She snorted, her voice dripping with venomous sarcasm, but said nothing more as a sign of appreciation that despite still being the untactful asshole she was all the time, Eli was willing to bandage and tend to her wounds while she herself was suffering from serious injuries. There was a deep cut on her left cheek; and she held her shoulder stiffly. "Where's Umi?"

As soon as she spoke of the bluenette's name, a rustling noise startled both of them, and the silhouette of Sonoda Umi emerged from the bushes, holding up what looked like medical supplies and a plastic bag of food. Even in the dim light of the full moon, hidden in the bushes, her sharp amber eyes flashed eerily, looking down at Maki with a stoic expression. Rather, all she could make out in the darkness was a scowl on her face that showed disapproval.

"You shouldn't have been so reckless as to jump in for the kill. Literally."

"I know... But I was really thirsty..." Mumbled the youngest with remorse, looking down with fear and shame.

Eli finally decided to say something comforting, gently pressing a fresh roll of bandage on the bleeding wounds. "What's done is done I suppose. We've all been thirsty lately, so we can't really blame you. Just be more careful in the future."

"Oh~ Maki-chan, you got hurt!?"

A loud, enthusiastic and bright voice howled out loudly. Everyone tensed up and hushed at the familiar source almost simultaneous, the ginger werewolf suddenly standing on hind legs unsteadily and raising its paws in a comical manner. Behind her, a furry, back-haired wolf and a orange one leaped down beside them, landing softly and skillfully. The full moon somehow made them more powerful, more healthy.

The orange-haired wolf crawled over and tried to nuzzle Maki in an effort to comfort her. "Maki-chan, you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Rin. Have you gotten used to being a werewolf yet?"

Hoshizora Rin was originally to be one of the last to have had Nekomata blood flowing in her veins, if not for the fact that her Nekomata mother had been injected with the DNA of a werewolf by a sadistic scientist, birthing a crossbreed-namely Rin-that was a werewolf with feline instincts. Fortunately, Rin had escaped from the hands of the scientist, who was soon involved in a fatal accident. The poor, abandoned, and lost baby crossbreed wandered unknowingly into werewolf territory, and was eventually picked up by Honoka, the ginger werewolf, but that is another tale to be told.

Wagging her tail with a sad, concerned pout (Maki had absolutely no idea how a werewolf could pout, but Honoka managed it well), the ginger leaned her furry body against Maki's. "Don't be sad, Maki-chan."

"Vampire hunters and enemies are everywhere nowadays, especially with the weird cults in the modern world. Can't trust no one anymore," The black werewolf gnashed her teeth fiercely, revealing sharp fangs that could rip someone in two easily.

"Nico, you better be careful as well. The last thing you want is for your siblings to be alone. They're still cubs that can't transform fully," Warned Eli. Nico's three siblings depended on her, the oldest, for survival and needs, so there was no possibility of her leaving them behind to fend for themselves.

The six of them sat in silence, the atmosphere heavy with caution and desperation. It wasn't going to be long before starvation caught up with them; even animals couldn't curb their hunger, let alone satisfy them anymore, or the hunters would get to them soon. _Only time would tell_ , Umi thought sorrowfully, before they all eventually went into extinction, leaving nothing but myths and tales behind in the real world.

* * *

Nozomi Tojo flipped through her book listlessly, tapping her foot on the floor as the teacher's voice droned on and on. It was like a background noise in her ears, but what they itched to hear was-

 _Ding-dong, ding-dong~_

The familiar ring of the school bell that signaled the end of lessons for the day.

Scrambling out of her seat, she ran down the hallways as fast as possible, careful not to trip over her own shoes or the staircases. But when she finally reached the last step of the stairs that led to the ground floor, _they_ were already there, waiting for her with sinister grins etched on their faces, the tolling school bell now like a signal of her downfall, every ring a step closer to the inevitable.

Everyday, she would fail to escape their grasp.

* * *

"..."

The ashen-haired girl was aware of everything.

Despite the plastic smiles they gave her, despite the laughs and giggles they shared, despite the little gifts and conversations exchanged, there was no doubt that she could hear everything that they said behind her back, the fingers pointed at her. They all changed after the bell rang, loud and clear, and she stood up to leave the classroom, shutting the door on the hushed whispers and gossiping girls.

So Kotori Minami made a fake mask herself. She would return the smiles with a radiant, fake one, and hide her knowledge and hurt behind a face of innocence and cute clumsiness. As the daughter of the School Chairman, she was privileged, she was favored.

And she knew everything changed at the hands of the school bell.

* * *

The twin-tailed girl stumbled into the pharmacy, trying to disguise her whimpers of pain as she clutched her arms pathetically, her face grimed with dirt and uniform rumpled with creases and tears. The other customers stared for a moment before turning away, not wanting to be involved with someone as pitiful as her.

She ignored the burning stares and empathetic looks, scanning the shelf for a box of bandages when her eyes landed on the last box...

That was snatched away before her hurriedly, and her timid, shaking hand drew back immediately, embarrassed.

"Ah... Excuse me?"

The velvety voice forced her head to jerk up instinctively, to face the owner of this beautiful sound, whom happened to be an attractive, azure-eyed woman with brilliant blond hair. She looked slightly lethargic and lifeless, as if her energy had been drained away in one shot. The eyes were although a beautiful color, were blank and cloudy.

"You can have this is you want..." She thrusted the box into Nozomi's hands before walking away stiffly to another shelf for some gauze instead, making a rushed payment and proceeding to head out swiftly, leaving the confused girl puzzled yet intrigued by this strange but alluring woman.

Nozomi left the bandages back where it was gently, walking out of the store robotically, as if still dazzled by the previous events.

* * *

"Eli, did you get any bandages?"

Ayase Eli shook her head and held up the roll of gauze instead. "This was all they had left."

 _Well, it wasn't really a lie. It would have been what was left since that poor girl took it._ But Umi couldn't have known.

"Maki, are you okay?"

"What part of me looks the slightest bit 'okay' to you?" Groaned the redhead weakly. "Dammit, I can't even get up..."

Umi wanted to scream, to cry, or anything that would vent her anger and frustration of her starvation on something. But what good would that do? Would it help Maki? Would it quench their thirst? The youngest among them had always also been the weakest to hunger and thirst. She wouldn't be able to hold out any longer soon. They had to find a way to help her tonight.

Determined to save her friend, Umi got up, ignoring her thirst and parched lips, and grabbed an old coat of the rack of their dusty little rental apartment they had acquired with a little money from their previous preys. Wrapping a scarf around her neck and face, she made preparations for a hunt tonight.

"Where are you going!?" Eli said, alarmed. "It's too risky, Umi!"

"Shut up, Eli," Was all she could say before slamming the door behind her, throwing her vampire cloak onto the couch and over Maki, panting softly.

* * *

 _A/N: I'm back. For now. Updates and new chapters will take awhile with the new school year and stuff. I will try to write more during the weekends, so please be patient and thank you for reading the first chapter of 'Creeping in Your Heart'. I apologize for the inconvenience._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Think Deep Thoughts**

Nozomi knew better than to wander around in the middle of the night, especially in the bad side of town. Yet she could never stay away from the cool, night breeze and the sound of rustling leaves in the wind as she took a midnight stroll, letting the darkness elope her fully.

She wasn't really afraid of being abducted or anything. In fact, Nozomi wished she would be kidnapped. That way, she wondered, she wouldn't have to go to school, or to deal with the bullies at school, or do anything at all. Suddenly, her brain was flooded with thoughts and horrid memories of her school life. Nozomi didn't have friends, let alone someone to protect her from the abuse. No one wanted to associate with the main target of bullying at school, in fear of being involved themselves.

Her blank eyes strayed away to the bridge just a walk away. It wasn't a very high bridge, but the waters below it were certainly deep. So deep and murky that not even the brightest sunlight would reach the bottom. She could hear the small waves making a splashing sound against the pillars supporting the long bridge. The smell of fresh air, and the rain slowly turning into a drizzle, droplets pelting against her shoulders. She didn't notice anything.

Unknowingly, Nozomi started to take small steps towards the bridge, with nothing but the laughter of the bullies ringing in her ears, and a flash of maroon and purple in the occasional memory before her eyes that played like a movie, the reel running and running until she would finally take her last living step.

* * *

The heavily-dressed figure cursed loudly as she felt the first raindrops on her pale hand. Oh, of course it had to be today, a hunting day, when it was going to rain. She lifted her head and inhaled deeply; there was going to be an incoming storm, followed by heavy downpour. Her sensitive nose twitched, before sighing with a droop of her head. There wasn't going to be anyone around anymore.

Umi mumbled a string of rude profanities that would have made anyone's ears go red, and ironically, usually hers. But tonight, she was in a foul mood as she walked past the park benches and the looming trees of the abandoned park when her amber eyes suddenly lit up at the sight of a figure in the corner of her eye. Maybe, just maybe. She could take whoever that was out, and nobody would know, or witness anything. Not a soul was in sight.

Silently, she crept over, trying to mask her presence as she hid behind a thick trunk, observing the limping figure, making her way towards the girl slowly, quietly. Umi could feel her muscles tense, prepared to go in for the kill, but when the girl began to climb over the railing of the bridge, horror seized her like a dark, cold hand gripping at her heart, and instead of killing her on the spot, draining her of her blood...

* * *

She wasn't sure what to think of when her life flashed before her eyes, but when Nozomi blinked furiously and snapped back to reality from a daze, she found herself dangling over the edge of the bridge by her feet.

Her first instincts were to scream and flail and cry at the same time, but when her turquoise eyes lifted in fear and hope for a support to cling on to for life, they met a pair of startled, amber ones, gleaming sharply in the darkness of the night.

"Wait, WAIT! Don't panic, I'm going to pull you up now," Cried a voice, and in a swift moment, Nozomi felt herself being hauled up by a marvelous strength, landing on her butt ungracefully.

She scrambled to her feet and clutched the hems of her shirt protectively, staring warily at the unknown stranger who had just saved her life. Or rather, interfered with her suicide attempt. Nozomi didn't know whether to be grateful or to be disappointed.

"Do you not value your life at all, foolish human?" Said the woman, or what sounded like a mature youth, crossing her arms and her voice strict.

"What does it matter to you... I'm being abused everyday as a main subject of torture at my school, what reason to I have to live for?" Nozomi's voice quivered, fighting back the burning heat in her eyes. She couldn't let the tears spill.

There was an audible sigh, and she felt something drape over her shoulders; a thick, heavy material.

"If you really think your human life is that worthless, why not let it benefit someone else who needs it?" Whispered the voice. She looked around to find the female youth, but there was nothing but shadows of the trees and eerie silence following, before she felt a breath of cool air against her ear shell saying, " _We'll_ be waiting here again."

* * *

Umi had no choice but to settle for the nearest hospital in the vicinity, seeing as her plan to attain possible fresh blood was ruined by a foolish... suicidal attempt. Masking her presence once more, she managed to sneak into a storage room where they kept blood packs from a blood donation that was held earlier that day.

Well, it was pretty much the closest thing to 'fresh'. Beggars couldn't be choosers after all.

* * *

"What should I do..."

Nozomi was contemplating between calling the police about the incident or going to school normally. The first one sounded appealing; at least if she were to be detained for questioning, she could skip a day's worth of school. Better still, get into a discipline case and drop out. Problem solved!

On the other hand, being detained would mean endless questioning by the police officers. If they wouldn't believe that a mysterious woman had saved her from a suicidal attempt and vanished instantly after that, she would be sent for counselling, have to go see a psychiatrist who would try to cure her 'hallucinations' and be mocked at even more at school.

Finally, she slipped on her school uniform, gritting her teeth and resisting the urge to scrunch up her face angrily as she made her way to school, a feeling of dread in her stomach, until an eerie, sharp voice reached her ears that called out to her.

"Tojo."

Every cell and fiber in her body was telling her to run, to scream, to plead. But all Nozomi could do at that time was quake uncontrollably, rooted to the spot and her mind blank. She was back, and she could hear her footsteps, one by one, marching towards her.

"Hello, Tojo. Long time no see~"

"Toudou-san..." There was an unmistakable shiver in her timid voice, and Nozomi turned around to face the maroon-haired senior, her frown so deep it looked as though her brows were knitted together.

Holding out her hand, armed with her pointed, sharp fingernails, Erena Toudou jabbed a finger straight at the intimidated girl before she could shrink back and away into the shabby apartment building.

"Come here, _Tojo_."

* * *

"Maki, are you going for the interview already?" Eli asked with a yawn, bruise-colored circles underneath her eyes; a result from staying up all night to ensure the youngest was properly recovered. The bluenette vampire also managed to clinch an interview at the small hospital she had stolen the blood pack from, and seeing as they were desperate for workers or anyone with the slightest bit of medical knowledge, she had persuaded the redhead to join almost immediately.

Of course, after Umi had explained where she had found out the notice flyers were(outside the printing room) and how she came across it, Maki hadn't really bothered much about it, but Eli had furrowed her eyebrows and tried to resist the urge to lecture Umi about morale values and whatnot, which they would obviously brush off and turn away with a deaf ear.

"I'm going with her in case. If you're going out, please be careful."

There was a bang, and the click of the lock resounding while Eli finally sat up to watch the scenery by the windowsill. Whenever she felt lonely, a nice view did cheer her up a little. Outside, was an ice-cream palour, and three girls, wearing their school uniforms and flaunting flashy designer bags with happy smiles on their faces and ice-cream cones in their hands.

The blonde envied them. Before she was taught to write, she was made to gnash her small, protruding fangs and drain the blood of an innocent village peasant that was brought to the child. By the time Eli held a pencil, she had learnt to wield a dagger and the ways of swordsmanship, using this tactical advantage when she prowled around for victims to relieve her thirst.

She wanted to be like those girls. To wear a school uniform, carrying a haversack, licking ice-creams on their way home, and to _smile_.

Along the way, as tragedy after tragedy and conflicts happened one after another in her life, Eli had forgotten how to smile. How she could curve her lips naturally into a pleasant line, was not something she was taught or had developed in her days as a vampire. With limited knowledge, she cursed herself for stepping into unknown territory without a clue of what was going on.

"Shall I wait for Umi to come home..?" Eli mumbled to herself, stretching out on the couch once more. It was dusty, it was a little small in the flat, but for now, this was _home_. Where they could belong.

* * *

 _A/N: Hello hello, it's been a while._

 _Sorry for not updating again (please refer to note in Chapter One) but it's finally my one week holiday and that means..._

 _Training sessions for sports. Joy. (Pretty sure you guys anticipated for more writing)_

 _I'll be having a (torturous) day camp for two days, so means I'll take longer to write Chapter Three. I'll work hard! Thank you for your support, and please tell me if you'd like some additions or maybe a bit of focus on certain characters._

 _By the way, I learnt something from my Christmas Love Live Special (check it out if you like) and I'm going to put A-RISE in. Don't worry, Tsubasa and Anjuu will make their glorious appearance soon, along with Hanayo~~_

 _See you soon, and thank you for reading._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Reflection**

"Thank goodness that you managed to pass," Umi heaved a sigh of relief, while Maki shrugged with a nonchalant look, strolling back home. The interview at the hospital had gone smoothly; they only needed to answer a few questions and try their hand at identifying the different medications and sharing some medical knowledge. They didn't even require identification or anything of the sort.

"Yeah, well, I knew I'd nail it," She said with a small smirk. "By the way, are you really going to wait for that foolish girl you told us about? Our new personal blood bank."

Umi wasn't sure what to reply. She couldn't be certain that she would turn up tonight, and internally cursed herself for disappearing abruptly on her. Maybe she had frightened her that night. After all, hardly anyone met vampires in the middle of your suicidal attempt at a dark, empty park. No point blaming her for chickening out.

"Umi? Umi~!"

"What? Sorry, Maki," Umi murmured sheepishly.

The redhead was grinning triumphantly. "I have an idea. Listen closely again, because I'm not repeating myself three times for your dense brain to understand."

* * *

Kotori sighed again, shutting the sliding door behind her as she made her way down the corridor, pausing in front of the Principal's office. Her knuckles reached out hesitantly, then dropped to her sides limply. She couldn't do it. Not after she endured so much into her second year.

An explosion of laughter erupted from the hallways ahead of her, and a loud sound of a body colliding straight into a locker, followed by a weak whimper.

She perked up upon recognizing the voices. They belonged to Toudou Erena and Nozomi Tojo, as well as some other third-years in her school. The ashen-haired girl never really got involved with either of them, partly because of their notoriety and also because she saw no cause to aid the bullying or to help the bullied. As long as she focused on her own life, it didn't matter to her whether others suffered in their own lives.

Then again, she felt a part of her that felt guilty for leaving these people behind. As much as Kotori wanted to help victims like Nozomi, especially with her authority as the Principal's daughter, she was well aware of the other kinds of consequences if she got too deep into their troubles. Kotori could end up being a victim herself.

"Like my situation isn't bad enough," Sighed Kotori, ignoring the pang of guilt while she slipped away quietly, taking a detour to the school gates. What was a couple more steps worth compared to another two years' worth of possibly-elevated bullying if she were to run into them?

* * *

The twin-tailed girl was cursing her luck again for the umpteenth time of the day.

Just when she was given a second chance at life, it had to hit her back harder with a force worse than her previous situation. Perfect. And to make matters worse, Erena Toudou...

Nozomi shivered even at the mention of her name. The fact that the 'ultimate boss villain' knew where she lived didn't offer her any sort of comfort whatsoever. It only meant that she was provided with more opportunities to torture the poor girl, along with her little troupe of friends who seemed even _worse_ than Erena herself.

Trudging down the stairs with heavy footsteps, she reflected on the day's activities, or rather, punishments. So far, she had been tripped, used as a punching bag, been humiliated at the cafeteria as Erena's lackeys spilled their lunch over her 'unintentionally', pierced by thumbtacks in her shoe, and got her face smashed into a locker. Really hard.

"Maybe I should've asked that weird woman to drop me off the bridge," She grumbled, surveying the school grounds from the entrance until she caught sight of her bag, slashed open at the bottom and books soaked in the school pond. Wading into the water, the koi fish in the pond swam away, alarmed at the unknown source that was now picking up her books and bag in a futile attempt to recover their condition, but the pages had been in the water for so long that the wrinkled wads of paper just fell off the spine and back into the water, the fishes leaping out of the water again.

Nozomi stuffed everything but the bag into the garbage can nearby, ignoring the giggles and taunts of freshmen who had already joined in the bullying. It wasn't like it was anything _fishy_ after all.

* * *

"Please, Eli?"

The blonde had been so distracted by the television program that she had completely shut out Maki's words and exasperated pleading until Umi shook her back to reality. "Eli!"

"Aah! Oh, sorry," Eli mumbled, but her gaze was still on the vampire movie playing. "Humans sure do come up with creative ideas for movies. They go by the silly little myths that we're weak to sunlight, wooden stakes, and garlic. Why garlic!"

The redhead shook her head and shut off the device with a push of the switch. "Now, will you shut up, look at me, and listen to me?"

She scowled, but had positioned herself to face the duo attentively.

"Maki's suggesting that we disguise ourselves as students, to blend into society," Umi said, shooting Eli a deadly 'shut-up-sit-down-and-let-me-finish' look when she caught sight of her open mouth to protest and her legs leaving the couch. "It will only be for a while, but we need to lay low and the best way to do that is to pretend that we're normal citizens."

Eli snorted. "Do you even have paperwork for us to go to school?"

"Actually, I've prepared everything. I even have a nice little backstory for us if anyone asks," Maki said briskly before continuing on the same breath. "Umi is basically the traditional, quiet little teacher's pet and you're her unpredictable cousin from Russia, while I'm just a friend of yours trying to pay her rent with the salary she earns at the hospital."

"Just for your information, I didn't agree to being the teacher's pet," The bluenette cracked her knuckles and popped her shoulders. "But we don't really have much choice."

The trio sat in silence, waiting for the message to sink into Eli's head before she nodded, a little reluctantly.

Maki grinned and gestured to the small wardrobe in another room. "Your uniforms are in there. Umi signed us up for a financial scheme, so your books and stuff are free. Once I get my first paycheck, as what the humans like to call, time to go splurging. We have to wear something other than vampire cloaks and long-sleeved black shirts, which is basically... whatever we've been wearing from the start."

They looked down at their clothes simultaneously, a tint of pink on their cheeks. Fashion was the last thing on their minds ever since they arrived in town.

"Well... Since we're starting tomorrow, pretty sure no one opposes to another hour of freedom?" Eli finally commented, turning the television back on, the Dracula on-screen descending towards his victim. Silence. "I thought so."

* * *

When Nozomi had finally reached the classroom that morning, she was almost on the brink of lateness. However, today, no one paid much attention to her. There was no anticipation among the students to see who could fling the most trash at her. In fact, everyone's focus was on a tall figure clad in their school uniform, her hair a vibrant shade of blonde and done in a high ponytail, her eyes an azure sea of comfort and familiarity.

"What are you doing, Tojo? Take your seat, we have a transfer student," The teacher instructed. She blinked out of her daze and glanced at her again, but not before gasping in realization.

A flicker of recognition flashed across the female's face, but she remained equally stoic and stared straight ahead, ignoring Nozomi's soft gasp. Shrinking away into her seat, she cringed as she sat down too fast on what felt like a sticky puddle of glue on her chair.

"My name is Ayase Eli. I will be transferring into your class from now on. Please take care of me," Eli said, her eyes locking onto Nozomi's and a ghost of a smile hinted on her lips before it was gone in a flash.

And as everyone gawked and swooned over the handsome girl, the maroon-haired girl gritted her teeth in anger, the glint of fangs reflected in her bottomless, dark eye pupils that glared towards the blonde.

* * *

 _A/N: Help I'm so busy and tired I don't want the camp to be here soon =_+. Thank you for reading this chapter, and for your support these days._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: First Time For Everything**

Kotori looked up and glanced at the bluenette furtively, dropping her head to her desk when her head tilted towards the front, eyes on the words scrawled on the whiteboard while her hand moved at an effortless pace, writing notes in her own perfect handwriting.

When Sonoda Umi had been introduced as a transfer student that morning, it had caused quite the commotion. Guys were asking her for her number, the girls talked excitedly among themselves, and Kotori found her own heart thumping quickly at the sight of the stoic but gentle-looking beauty, and even she couldn't deny the fact that she was rather charming.

Even when she wore the same school uniform as everyone, it looked sharper, smarter on her slender figure, the blazer at a fitting angle. Her long, dark blue hair cascaded down her shoulders like a graceful waterfall, and when Umi spoke, it was like music to her ears. The ashen-haired girl was head-over-heels for the new student at first sight. The fact that she was distant and aloof made her even more mysterious and desirable.

"Alright, that's all for this morning."

That was the cue for everyone in class to go running towards a startled Umi, who was already half-way out of her seat, and bombarded the hesitant girl with questions.

"Sonoda, do you do sports?"

"Wow, you're really pretty~"

"Let's hang out sometime?"

Only Kotori remained in her chair, watching the helpless Umi being surrounded by her classmates. It was a scene she envied: being able to bask in the spotlight and attention of her friends. As usual, she heaved another soft sigh and tried to ignore the hullabaloo that was going on, but when the image of Nozomi and the laughter of the bullies rang out in her ears returned to her brain, she straightened up in her seat. Did she really have to leave Umi like that?

Slowly, she turned to face the troubled student, both shades of amber meeting each other. _Help me,_ Umi's eyes seemed to plead, trying to wriggle out of the uncomfortable predicament she was in.

Kotori paused, not breaking eye contact with her. They were so deep, as if she was staring into the anxious pits of her soul. Dragging her chair with a screech, she strode stiffly towards Umi's seat and grabbed her by the wrist.

"The Principal needs you to get some documents. I was told to accompany you on the first day to her office," Kotori said, lying through her teeth with a small smile. No one could doubt that; she was the Chairman's daughter after all, and that was a known fact.

Umi blinked, and stood up almost too quickly, Kotori dragging her along as she trotted off clumsily in tow, leaving her classmates in a state of jealousy and confusion.

* * *

The ashen-haired girl didn't stop until she was sure they were a distance away from their classroom, and spun around to face Umi with an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, you must have been startled..."

"Ah, it's okay," Umi's lips lifted into a sheepish grin. "By the way, how do you do that?"

"Do what?"

She cocked her head to the side curiously, surveying Kotori's face with a strange mix of interest and caution. "You're a pretty good liar. It's almost like you're an actress or something. You can even feign such impressive smiles."

The ashen-haired girl suddenly went limp, the smile sliding off her face instantly, and the hand that gripped onto Umi's wrist loosened. For a year she the mask she had deceived everyone with, was now crumbling away, threatening to expose the weakness and fragility of her true self.

Before she could open her mouth to speak, a blonde girl wearing the third-year's designated green tie tapped Umi on the shoulder, not giving Kotori a look in her direction. "Umi, let's get something to eat. I'm starved."

"Sure," Umi shrugged and turned away with her, but not before curving her smile into a mysterious, yet spine-chilling smirk that sent Kotori stumbling onto her knees, quivering with fear.

* * *

"Ahhh Umi, you shouldn't have been so blunt. The poor girl must be shaken by now," Sang Eli. She had never been the most carefree of people, but she did enjoy teasing her friends sometimes just to see their cute reactions, and Umi was her most frequent victim; she was already scowling and the tips of her ears went red, something that happened to her when she was embarrassed or sheepish.

"Oh? How's it going with Tojo, then?"

The blonde vampire smirked. "No worries, I observed her as instructed. She's apparently everyone's favorite target of bullying. It's honestly getting a little out of hand to just watch."

"Still, who would have thought that the two of us would have bumped into her? Were you playing the role of the nice guy in the pharmacy while I was Prince Charming who rescued her in the nick of time?"

They shared a small laugh, relaxing peacefully under the shade of a looming tree in the courtyard. Eli had already bought bread and drinks at vending machines behind the school, while other students around them had lunchboxes and all sorts of food items and drinks. As both of them believed, "When in Rome, do as Romans do", following the philosophy to blend in with their fellow schoolmates.

"Speaking of which, I wonder how Maki is doing?"

* * *

The redhead's first day of work turned out decently well. Most of the staff at the hospital turned out to be outgoing, friendly and passionate people, offering her help and advice to the beginner, and even going out of their way to buy her lunch as Maki sat at the receptionist counter during her shift, sipping a warm liquid called coffee which she had taken a liking to. In fact, she was addicted to it. Now if only it was about as delicious and effective as blood...

"Nishikino?"

A familiar, childish voice piped up, the vampire recoiled in surprise at the sight of a twin-tailed girl dressed in a pink cardigan and a white mask over her nose and mouth. She couldn't recognize this person, yet she knew her name. "Pardon?"

"It's me, you dimwit. Yazawa."

Maki choked on a spoonful of rice, taking a closer squint at the short girl, who was once in the form of a protective, raven-furred werewolf. Recovering from her shock, she scanned through the waiting list until she caught sight of a 'Yazawa Nico' on the schedule for an afternoon checkup. Which happened to be on her shift.

"What on earth are you doing here?" Hissed the redhead, making sure the other staff and patients couldn't hear her, but she couldn't conceal the hostility and shock in her voice. "No, scratch that. Why are you here?!"

"Aren't you a bundle of joy, Doctor," Nico rolled her eyes as she continued sarcastically. "Of course I'm here for a normal _full-body_ checkup like a normal human being with a normal, gentle, nurse. Just kidding," She said with a laugh when Maki choked again. "Well, not about the full-body checkup part though. See you in the clinic room."

And as she walked away, the only words Maki could process until the end of her counter shift were ' _full-body checkup_ '.

* * *

Nozomi tried to ignore the burning stares of Erena's furious turquoise eyes from behind, confused at the unusually-angered delinquent today. She had been in one of the foulest moods Nozomi had ever seen since the beginning of her school years at school. And that couldn't ever be good for her, seeing as Erena liked to vent her frustration on the twin-tailed girl on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, she couldn't help but notice the blonde girl staring at her blankly at times. And when their eyes met, Eli would tilt her mouth into a crooked smile, returning her gaze to the front or when Nozomi broke eye contact shyly. Why was Ayase Eli looking at her so much? She patted her uniform down self-consciously and concentrated on her new textbook, already scrawled with rude doodles and profanities written by her classmates.

"Hello," Nozomi jumped in her seat lightly, turning to face a smiling Eli, who had dragged her chair over to her table. "I didn't get my new books yet, so is it alright if I share yours with you?"

Her face burned with embarrassment and discomfort, breathing heavily under the scrunity of everyone. They were clearly shocked that the tall, handsome, transfer student wanted to share textbooks with the bullied victim of their school.

"I take that as a yes?" The girl chuckled softly, pulling closer to Nozomi's beet-red face.

When she had, at least stopped the redness from flooding her face, the third-year suddenly realized how pale Eli's complexion was. It looked as if she had showered with foundation. Nozomi would have thought someone as fit-looking and somewhat healthy as her would have had tanner skin.

"Hey, he's erasing the notes," Whispered Eli, tapping Nozomi on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I helped you copy them down."

"Oh... Thank you..."

She looked down at her textbook, and on the corner of the page were the formulas written in her flawless handwriting. However, she could see a frown creased on Eli's forehead as she stared at the doodles on her textbook.

"Did you write this?" She said with an arched eyebrow.

Nozomi shook her head vigorously, and yelped softly just as she did so. A sharp point had jabbed straight into her back, and her fearful eyes turned to meet Erena's flashing eyes, blazing violently. In her shaking hands, she held a penknife, the pointy end outstretched towards Nozomi.

Her face was twisted into a mask of fury and ugliness, "You think you're hot stuff aren't you, Tojo?"

"Shut up, you imbecile," Was all Eli said briskly, putting a protective hand over her back. "And keep that thing before you're charged with murder, accidental or not."

"Imbe-what?" Erena scrunched up her face in confusion, searching up with word with the aid of modern technology before making a swing at the blonde, who avoided it easily. Her chair clattered to the floor loudly, and the teacher stopped writing immediately, cowering away. Such incidents that happened in the most violent third-year class were best avoided.

The smile on Eli's face grew wider, still casually leaning into her chair. "Ooh, the imbecile has gotten angry, I'm so scared. Were you smart enough to look it up, _idiot_?"

Everyone gasped softly; others edged away. No one messed with Erena Toudou, known as the notorious tyrant, and yet here she was, already attempting to shame her on the first day of school. Ayase Eli sure was an idiot in their minds.

"I will _kill_ you, new kid," Hissed the oppressor, flinging the penknife away and positioning herself in a boxing stance. "Are you ready for your pretty little face to be smashed in?"

Eli merely stood up, but that one action caused Erena to flinch at her height. It was sort of an intimidating tactic; standing up made you look powerful, taller, and not saying anything meant you were unpredictable with your movements. Pulling her leg behind, knees bent slightly, Eli flashed a rather strange expression that blanked Erena's mind instantly. In fact, it made her dissolve into a bag of nerves.

She wasn't ready. She had been distracted.

And when Eli landed the first blow on her, it was all over for the maroon-haired delinquent.

* * *

 _A/N: I has come back alive~ Thank you for reading, I apologize for the incoming late updates as I, as many others, do not have the luxury of time to sit at my desk and listen to weird music on repeat while writing :) But thanks for your support, see you next chapter!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Sadistic, Sorrowful Smile**

"A-Ayase... You..."

"Hmm?" Eli sang innocently, but her smirk said otherwise, one strong hand gripping a flailing Erena by the uniform collar and the other with reddening knuckles.

The audience gaped in shock. All odds had been in the tyrant's favor, but now there she was, hanging by a hand of a blonde girl, bleeding by the bruised mouth, and her face was full of blue-black spots, spewing inaudible curse words muffled by her bloody lips. The teacher had long escaped from the room the moment Eli had punched a straight fist aimed at her nose, and the effect was brilliant; Erena had went _flying_ across the classroom.

Meanwhile, Nozomi collapsed in a shaking heap, her wide turqoise eyes brimming with scared tears threatening to spill over the edges. Never had she expected the mild-mannered, seemingly harmless, and rather cute transfer student to strike the merciless predator that dominated her high school life without lifting a finger.

Erena tried to land a futile kick, but the blonde reacted quickly, kneeing her in the solar plexus. _That_ brought her to the knees, coughing over and over again, with a mixture of blood, sweat and saliva running down her face and chin. Another gasp escaped everyone's lips.

"Listen, this is getting painful to watch. So I'm going to let you off for now. Don't let me catch you picking on others again," Eli's voice dropped to a low, dangerous whisper that seemed more like a snarl to Erena, who suddenly saw the silhouette of a familiar figure reflected in her eyes.

Instead of a shaky nod, the maroon-haired female gnashed her pearly-white teeth, glinting in the sunlight, as if a beast was baring its fangs at another.

* * *

Nozomi hugged her books to her chest, her shoulders hunched as she took quick steps home. After that beating, Erena had stalked right out of the classroom, in the opposing direction as Ayase had gone. Her underlings hadn't touched so much as a hair on Nozomi, who found it peculiar, considering that their favorite pastime was tormenting the poor girl.

"It's all because of that weird woman. First she saves my life when I didn't want her to, then Toudou came back, and then there's that transfer student..." She mumbled under her breath, kicking the small pebbles on the ground until she reached her apartment, where a twin-tailed female was struggling to open her front door to her flat.

Assuming it was someone who had just moved in, Nozomi tapped her on the shoulder, startling the girl, or was it a young woman? Her face was innocently young and cute, but there was something about her that told her otherwise. "Did you just arrive?"

"Yeah, I've been trying to get this stupid door open for about five minutes," Grumbled the raven-haired neighbor. "I think it's stuck."

"No, the handle's just old and rusted. It's better to just pull back the handle, push it down, and it'll open easier than using brute force," Nozomi demonstrated once for her to observe, and the door opened with a creak. "There you go."

A small smile emerged on her lips. It convinced Nozomi even more that she was actually a very childish lady, or a somewhat mature young adult. "Thank you very much."

"Not to mention it," The purplette gave a playful grin and shut the door behind her. It never occurred to her that she hadn't smiled like that in a while.

* * *

"How was school?" Maki asked from the doorway, struggling to take off her sneakers. She yearned for her comfortable boots back home when she could just slip them on. But it wasn't as if she could walk into the country she was banished from and casually take everything she owned. Times were hard when the three of them were on the brink of execution, and had little as they escaped in the dead of the night.

"You'll never guess who Eli met," Snorted Umi, hanging her blazer neatly onto the hanger. "Toudou."

The redhead almost burst out laughing. "That Toudou? No way, what's a wimp like her doing in the human world?"

"Pushing other weak kids around like we did to her back then," Eli answered, eyes still glued to the television. She was addicted to it nowadays, even catching up to a bunch of dramas and movie series. "She didn't really live up to the family name, I suppose."

They lapsed in silence for a moment, recalling the memories of a maroon-haired girl, petrified as she stumbled away in an attempt to escape, but couldn't stop the wooden stake from driving through the back of her legs, a shrill scream echoing down the dark hallway...

* * *

Erena limped home pathetically, clutching her swollen face. She knew it would heal by the next day, but considering how weak her system was compared to most others, there was no telling when she would recover. The best she could do was to skip school for a couple of days to rest; not like she would be punished or anything, seeing as she was a delinquent after all.

"Erena, are you home?" Cried out a feeble voice that made her cringe internally. "Take out the trash, will you?"

She slipped into the dilapidated house quietly, knowing that her father was still sleeping. The once-vampire-royalty had already lost his immortality after public stripping of his abilities back in their hometown, and left him just about as weak as a human. Now, the hopeless fool was a drunken mess with pointed teeth.

With a scowl, Erena picked up the black trash bags and walked out to the bins, near the neighborhood park. People were walking their dogs, enjoying a stroll. Others were sitting under the shade, sharing smiles and laughs, while some affectionate movements. A pang of jealousy hit her, cursing the cruel fate of the blood-thirst and her compressed set of fangs, hidden from the vicinity of public eyes, that she had to endure every single day.

Her mind wandered off to Ayase Eli. She had grown up, the rounded, soft face sharpened into a beautiful face and her body curvy and slender in the right places. As expected of a descendant from the prestigious line of Russian vampires.

Erena gritted her teeth angrily, slamming the bags on the ground. That stupid girl must have snitched to Ayase about her. She really resembled a raccoon dog, didn't she, ratting her out to the transfer student and acting all friendly with her with the intention to make Erena look stupid. Was this karma? What had she done to Tojo? All the bullying was done by the girls that regarded themselves as Erena's underlings just because she smiled at them a few times and chatted a little, yet she was known as the mastermind of the group. Why?

"Why did I have to be a vampire?" Grumbled the maroon-haired girl, rubbing her black eye and wincing softly. She was sure that her bruises were more prominent than before. It wasn't like her regenerating abilities were magic, it took time for the wounds to heal.

And likewise, it would leave a deep, painful scar that lingered forever.

* * *

The twin-tailed girl finally decided to go out for a walk at the park.

After a few days of recovering from the trauma, Nozomi wanted some fresh air again, from the weird series of incidents that had been occurring, the worst of which was when Erena got beaten up. She still remembered the expression Eli wore as she went in for the first strike, and froze almost immediately:

She _smiled_.

But it wasn't a very happy or innocent smile. It looked like a deranged, sadistic grin that hid a twisted personality inside. That would've scared Nozomi so much she'd faint right there and then.

It was just like that night, where no one was around, and the breeze was cool, combing her hair, done in a loose braid tonight. Nozomi tried to relax her tense shoulders, cutting through the trees and benches and headed straight for the bridge, staring down at the dark, murky waters where she had tried to drown herself-

"Hey!"

She jolted at the sound of the rough, familiar voice, backing up against a thick tree-trunk. "Go away!"

"Shut up, Tojo! They're here!" Erena hissed, placing one finger against her lips and clamped a hand onto Nozomi's mouth for a good measure. "Shh, or they'll find you."

Hurling her head around, she made sure the coast was clear before she shoved the silenced girl off into the bushes as quietly as she could, crouching among the soft leaves and neatly clipped greens.

"If you're going to question me, do it softly-"

"What are you doing?" Gasped Nozomi, more scared than curious. Erena had just possibly kidnapped her into a large bush where no one was to find them. Was she going to get revenge? But the bully looked to anxious-even frightened-to try to attack her right now. She was looking around furtively, her wounds from this morning still looking as awful as it was before.

Erena snapped her head towards Nozomi, turqoiuse meeting another. "Listen closely, Tojo. I'm not trying to play bad-guy-turns-good here, but as soon as it's safe, run. Don't look back, just run. Never come back here again, you hear me? They're coming closer as I speak, so you better run as if your life depends on it. They've been waiting since you showed up, and they won't let you off so easy." She whimpered softly; was that fresh blood on her abdomen?

"But who are they-"

"Tojo, please. Don't come here again if you value your life. I'm begging you this once, you don't want to mess with Aya-"

She was cut off by a a painful slash against her back, crying in pain as she collapsed against the grass, her back dripping with warm, sticky blood. Nozomi squealed, and with the words 'run' still echoing in her head, she turned and stumbled away, only to ram square into a figure with icy-blue eyes and glinting fangs.

"Well, you finally showed up, Tojo..."

" _RUN_ , YOU FOOL!" Screamed Erena, shrieking again when another figure clawed at her back again.

A pair of sorrowful amber eyes emerged from the darkness, staring at Nozomi pitifully. "Sorry. But you know..."

"We've been starving lately," The fangs stretched into a small smile, one so familiarly scary that the Nozomi shook her head numbly, losing all feeling in her clammy hands, her heart pounding like a drum in her ears as she sobbed softly.

"A-Ayase..."

Was all she said before her eyes rolled back and everything faded to black.

* * *

 _A/N: Oooh, thank you very much for the reviews, favorites and views on 'Creeping in Your Heart'!~ Your support is greatly appreciated, but I'm sorry to say that my holidays will be ending soon, so updates won't be as frequent ;-; Thank you anyways, see you soon~_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Just to clear some confusion out, the Soldier Game trio are pretty much just a bunch of spoiled brats who are the basic 'bad guys'._

 _Except that Umi is the confused kind of bad guy who's blinded by priorities, Maki is the cinnamon bun with a mean mouth, and Eli is a sadistic woman for the next couple of chapters until *spoilers spoilers spoilers*._

 _Also, Erena is just the nice kid who gets bullied, but started being the bully._

 _Okay this is confusing thanks for reading, enjoy my horrible story and possibly the most confusing chapter of your lives._

* * *

 **Chapter Six: The Chapter That Explains Almost (?) Everything (Yes, I'm Not Kidding)**

She gasped loudly and looked around wildly. The first thing she noticed wasn't the fact that she was wrapped tightly in sheets that immobilized her movements, or that she woke up after being attacked last night by the cute, quiet transfer student, but that her stomach was strangely hungry.

 _It certainly did kill the mood_ , Nozomi thought to herself as she recalled last night's events, gulping and sweating even more now, struggling against her bonds. The memory of Ayase Eli's dark smirk sent her stomach plummeting inwards, leaving a sick feeling. Nearby, a figure stirred slowly, and the purplette scooted over like a silly inchworm, only to find a bleeding, whimpering Erena Toudou.

"Tojo, you're awake," Murmured the maroon-haired girl, her face contorted in pain as she tried to sit up in a similar predicament. "Did they hurt you much?"

"You're one to talk, Toudou," Nozomi said quietly, staring at her bruises and cuts everywhere on her body. They seemed to be recovering well enough, but when she struggled to turn around, she cringed a little at the bright red scratches on her pale back.

Erena scowled painfully. "Got mouthy after yesterday, huh? Not afraid of me anymore?"

"Only because someone helped me."Her words hit the delinquent like a brick, Nozomi looking away as she continued.

"You didn't really partake in the tormenting, yet I hated you, thinking all along you ordered the girls to make my life miserable. But I guess they only made it worse when you were around..?"

"Pretty much," Erena replied gruffly, more embarrassed than upset at the twin-tailed girl who was pouring out her gratitude and apologetic behavior for misunderstanding her intentions. It felt weird for the girl she bullied to start talking to her so casually after a foiled attempt at saving her life. Before she could part her lips to speak once more, the door open noisily, and a red-haired figure clad in an over-sized white coat that swallowed her petite stature walked in, her unforgiving purple eyes staring darkly at Erena.

She wore a surly expression on her face as she walked over to the maroon-haired girl, raising a leg and bringing it down sharply onto her raw back while Erena drew in a breath.

"Starving, aren't you, mongrel?" The redhead commented with a superior smirk. "Can't get your hands off?"

"Screw yourself, Nishikino." This earned her another stomp before the female called Nishikino shoved an energy bar into Nozomi's gaping mouth, the twin-tailed girl recoiling in shock. Maki didn't glare or scowl at her, but the grumpy emotion remained in place.

"We don't want our blood bank to starve. I don't hold any grudges against you, nor do I want to know what Umi has done to you for you to deserve this treatment. All I need," She turned to Erena and grinned. "Is my favorite toy."

The vampire prepared her stance again, but Nozomi scooted over and stretched out in front of Erena protectively, shaking her head with the food bar still gripped between her strong teeth.

She withdrew her leg with another scowl in place. "Get stuffed, both of you."

* * *

When Maki had shut the door behind her, Eli was still asleep on the couch, her legs outstretched in an unsightly manner. So much for being a descendant of royalty.

"Eli, I'm going to work now. If they start bleeding out again, call me home soon and get Umi to deal with it first." The duo could always count on the cool-headed bluenette to get them out of a tight spot in a quick fix.

The blonde yawned and nodded lazy. "Take care," She slurred, falling back against the furniture.

She stepped out with a sigh, choosing to take a detour for some alone time. Ever since Eli had discovered her childhood prey was back, she had turned into an aggressive, sadistic asshole. If she had been a little obnoxious before, this was definitely unbearable. Sure, Maki said some offensive words and was pretty much a robot without emotions and care, but at least she didn't do anything stupid. Especially taking two people who had enough to deal with in their lives captive and shutting them in a room. Maki had no idea what Eli and Umi were planning at all.

Still, it wasn't as if she could interfere. There was a chance that she was the cause of all this burden. If only she was strong enough to hold out against the hunger, Maki didn't have to rely on blood packs in the storage room at the hospital. But the absence of packs were getting noticeable, and as if able to sense her concerns, Umi had come up with some kind of scheme that involved Erena and that girl. All she could do was play her part obediently under the watchful eye of the older vampires.

Maki remembered Erena when she was still young. The Toudou Family, at that time, was still an influencial and powerful clan of vampires who had fought brave battles and came back victorious, basking in the glory of their rewards and efforts.

However, the last male descendant, Erena's father, had been unable to produce a male heir after his wife declared that she could not be pregnant anymore. Shocked at the half-vampires' audacity, they had exposed him and his family in public, shamed him of his vampire abilities, and banished them permanently from the country.

The daughter hadn't been any better. She was always weaker and less developed than other vampire children. Before they had been exiled from their hometown, Erena had studied at the same school as Eli, Umi, and Maki, with the aid of a relative who was a teacher there. It was a school for the middle-class and mostly, royalty, so no one was surprised when she could hardly fit in. By a sick twist of cruel fate, she became Eli's favorite subject of bullying, and the other students joined in, with their own families instructing to do so seeing how much prestige and power the line of Russian Royalty held. It was much better to try to get on their good side than oppose them and make an enemy for life.

Sonoda Umi was a vampire from traditional lands, where their ancestors dated back to long, unknown years ago. She had a shy but upright demeanor as a child, but over the years, her shyness had hardened and crumbled away, hidden inside, leaving an emotionless, tough exterior.

The Nishikino Clan were specialists in medical field, known for their insane recovery rates and regeneration abilities, and capable of treating almost any kind of diseases. Not only did they help vampires, but they had experts all over land and sea, healing werewolves, beasts and even humans in common countries. Maki had inherited most of these skills, deeming her fit as a vampire that belonged to the line of Nishikino.

Naturally, the three got along as their families did, hanging out at school often. So if Eli bullied someone, they were expected and looked up so much that the two others felt pressured to follow suit. The power of peer pressure. Although Maki did find it amusing, she had a line of morals she refused to cross if it got too out of hand.

"I had to be a cold fish and to hide my shyness," Umi had said before once. "No one can hurt me, because I cannot hurt them."

Maki was still mulling over old memories and trying to wrap her mind around Eli's scheme when a sharp knock startled her so much she jumped out of her seat. "Come in," She called out, smoothing down the creases in her coat.

"Why the long face, Nishikino?" Nico asked with a smirk. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Yazawa, I don't think you're on my appointment list?"

The twin-tailed girl rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "I brought you lunch. Take it or leave it."

Maki had been so absorbed in thoughts and work that she'd forgotten all about her stomach, which was screaming in hunger. Thanking the werewolf sheepishly, with a hint of suspicion; no way Yazawa would have been so kind as to treat her to lunch all the time, she nonetheless gratefully accepted the lukewarm package and opened it, a scent of herbs and something strong and tangy wafting into her nose. Looking down, she saw a thick mixture of red with chunks and noodles.

"You didn't cook me blood noodles with human meat right?" The redhead eyed the food suspiciously.

"Is this how you react when your colleagues treat you to lunch?" Nico grabbed a fork, twirled it around in the mixture, and before Maki could speak, she took the opportunity to shove that forkful into her mouth.

She couldn't very well spit it out in an unsightly manner, so Maki had no choice but to chomp on it sulkily and swallowed the noodles, her eyebrows raising in pleasure, reaching for another forkful.

"Okay, now I'm convinced that you put blood in here somewhere. There's no way that this can be so delicious," Maki said, attacking the food with gusto. "What is this, anyway?"

"It's something called tomato. The sauce is made out of that and some herb, too. It's a kind of plant; that's what the red chunks are, I put some inside."

Pushing the empty container aside, she looked up the plant with such enthusiasm that Maki was already standing up from her chair. It made Nico snort with laughter, watching her scroll through the results curiously, her eyebrows still shooting upwards.

"So _this_ is a tomato. I wonder what it'd taste like raw," She was salivating now, staring straight at the screen so much her eyes could have burned a hole through it. The doctor didn't even notice Nico rolling on the floor, tears in her eyes from laughing too hard until she finally snapped out of her daze, trying to wipe away any drool traces and maintaining whatever amount of dignity she had left.

The werewolf recovered, laughing so loudly it sounded almost like a howl. "By the way, how's life in here?"

"Terrible," Was the first word Maki said before realizing that she couldn't just blurt everything to Nico. "I mean, the food's terrible."

"You're an equally terrible liar aren't you," She shook her head with a smirk. "I see you scarfing down your lunch everyday at work. That is, after you stop thinking deep thoughts with the expression of a stonefish."

"Goddamn my hunger pangs," Cursed Maki, always one to listen to her stomach at the hospital shift. She saw no point in keeping Nico in the dark anymore, and it wasn't like she would blabber off to everyone about how much of a sadistic asshole Eli was now that Erena was involved.

After a couple of sighs between the story-telling and the whole Nozomi suddenly being captive at their apartment when Maki had no idea who she was, Nico was already fiddling with all the pens available on Maki's desk and the latter had finished a whole glass of water when her mouth ran dry from talking.

"So, what's up with this Nozomi girl? Is she special?"

"I don't know, but Eli and Umi aren't saying so much as a word to me," Groaned the doctor, knocking her forehead repeatedly against the tabletop. "I can't tell who's friend or foe anymore. Umi feels like she has confused values, Eli's a beast once Erena got dragged into this mess, Erena became one of us when she was in the human world, and now I'm spouting nonsense!"

Nico flinched backwards. "You really are."

They sat in awkward silence until the timer on Maki's clock beeped, signalling her shift at the receptionist counter. Gathering her things, both of them walked out of the office with continued silence.

"You know, you could try talking to them, for once," Nico mumbled. "I mean, I know you're not really good with your words other than being venomous and sarcastic, but you never know what you can do."

"Good point. If I can hold a decent conversation about tomatoes and life with you, I should be able to at least speak with Umi for like, half a minute."

Her cherry eyes rolled dramatically, scowling at the redhead.

"Okay, one minute?"

* * *

Umi was already home when Maki stepped into their apartment, bushed from the day's work.

"Hey, got a second?" Maki asked, drawing in deep breaths to compose herself.

The bluenette vampire raised an eyebrow curiously, folding the last of their laundry, which was a mere pile of clothes and bare necessities. "Sure."

"I... What's going on with that girl inside? Why'd you bring her?"

"Let's see..." Umi wasn't much of a talker in situations where it was as if she was being interrogated. "Considering the fact that we can't rely on the limited amount of blood packs at the hospital for survival, I thought we might need a blood bank."

The redhead struggled not to roll her eyes and comment, "No shit, Sherlock." Instead, she inhaled deeply to compose herself, relaxed her tense shoulders and continued, "But she's innocent!"

"No, she was suicidal. All I did, Maki," She said smoothly, as the situation had turned so casual it was almost like a tea party. "Was relieve her of her worthlessness. See? Since she doesn't want her life anymore, why not use it to serve the greater good? It's a win-win-"

"THERE'S NOTHING WIN-WIN ABOUT THIS MESSED UP SITUATION!" That was the last straw. She was yelling, the walls could shake weakly, the duo inside could wince, but there was nothing to stop her from blowing up anymore. "Umi, what happened? Last I checked, you weren't this much of an asshole!"

Umi's amber eyes glinted, as always when she was getting agitated. "Maki."

She would have stopped there and then if anger and unjust hadn't blinded her. "I'd rather starve than feed off another vampire and a innocent human! Are you sure you're not putting your hunger before your own morale values? You're the most mature one among us!"

"What's going on here?"

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry I wrote this when I was high and also because I'm rushing for time I have school tomorrow no more frequent updates._

 _Sorry, I really am. If I'm confusing you, please tell me which parts are messing you up, I'll edit this chapter or mention it in the next chapter. Explanations here:_

 _Yes, Umi has confused values. SPOILER she's just putting their needs in front of her values as desperation, don't worry._

 _Eli is just too stressed out and jumps at opportunities to prove herself as a worthy vampire._

 _Maki is a sarcastic, but also sort of a nice vampire. Basically the tsundere she is._

 _Erena the bullied became the bully._

 _And Burb and Nozomi just doesn't get enough screen time. (Meanwhile Honoka and Rin are somewhere and Hanayo is waiting for her appearance)_

 _Thank you for reading, and once again, I apologize for the coming late updates and inconsistent writing._


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